The collection of decorations accumulated over the years with Bilbrey’s family, and once she and Gallienne purchased their own home, they realized they had a lot more space with which to work. The first decoration they purchased as a couple was the Sandworm from the movie “Beetlejuice.” They also began creating their own decorations and the number has continued to grow.
The couple estimated that they owned 300 to 600 small individual pieces and 50 larger pieces. The larger pieces included a 12-foot skeleton, a life-size Michael Myers and a Frankenstein bust. During COVID, the couple created a path with an exit and entrance so the kids in the neighborhood could walk through the yard and discover their courage.
“People tell us how much they love it. It is 100% worth the time, money and effort just to see the kids with that amazed look on their face. I enjoyed that as a kid. There was a woman who had a house, and you had to walk really far back to get to her porch, and there was creepy stuff all the way up there. … But once you got there, you felt like you conquered something. Yeah, I was scared, but I did it anyway. We’re providing that for kids around here,” Bilbrey said.
The couple’s neighbors have grown to love what is called “Marimont Manor,” and that love was felt earlier this year in March when a fire destroyed the couple’s garage and some of their decorations. A trash can with rags soaked in linseed oil spontaneously combusted, starting the fire.
“It seemed like everyone within a radius came to ask us if we needed anything. Some people asked if we wanted any food. Our next-door neighbors tried to get into our house so they could get our dogs out. … Our neighbors were just awesome,” Gallienne said.
The estimated damage to the home is $250,000. The Halloween decorations were stored in the garage. However, Gallienne estimates that only about 25% of their decorations were damaged. Many decorations have to be professionally cleaned because of the smoke and water damage. But some of the decorations were made better by the damage.
“There is a certain amount of damage they [Halloween decorations] can take on and it just adds to the creepiness of it,” Gallienne said.
The fire department responded to the fire within five minutes. Gallienne expressed that they did a better job than he could have anticipated. Firefighters rescued their dogs from the home. Bilbrey said the fire department were helpful with resources and answered all their questions.
“It was the most surreal experience of my life and the longest. It seemed like forever before they got the dogs out. Thankfully by the time she [Bilbrey] got home, the dogs were out of the house because she would’ve ran in there,” Gallienne said.
Luckily, the couple had friends and family to help them with a new temporary residence. Bilbrey and Gallienne still do not have an anticipated date for which they can move back into their home. Bilbrey did joke that she was a little anxious to have the firefighters explore the garage.
“To the firefighters, I said ‘So when you saw the skeletons in there, what’d you think? Did you think we did something?’ They said they don’t judge,” she said while laughing.
Efforts to rebuild and clean any belongings they are able to are still underway. Many of the decorations had to be put into storage, so they will not be making an appearance this Halloween. However, Bilbrey and Gallienne said they plan to be outside of their home on Halloween, even if they only have a few skeletons to display. Bilbrey plans to dress up as a dumpster fire this year as a nod to the fire.
“We hope that even though we’re not going to have the decorations that we normally have that people still do come and get candy. Because it really, more than anything would bring a bit or normalcy to a year that has, in many ways been lacking in normalcy overall,” Gallienne said.
The hope is that next year, the home will be back to its traditional horror-style Halloween. Gallienne said this year, they are going for a more “contemporary realism motif.” While Bilbrey is really missing the DIY decorations, she said that next year will be an awesome comeback story.
“The creative bug is absolutely killing me because my feeds are full of these wonderful DIY things. Great things and props that grown so much for us the past few years. I think next year we’re going to start as soon as we can,” she said.
The city of Dayton’s trick-or-treat night is Tuesday, Oct. 31, from 6-8 p.m. Bilbrey and Gallienne will be in front of their home on Marimont Drive with candy, and the dream that Halloween 2024 will send shivers down the spines of all who have the guts to tour Marimont Manor.
The home is located at 3455 Marimont Drive in Dayton in the Hearthstone neighborhood. The home was built in 1928 in a traditional four-square style and measures1,202 square feet.
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